Taksi-blyuz

This film shows the conflict and forming of a friendship between two opposites: Shlykov, the hard-working patriotic cab driver built like a tank, and Lyosha, the thin, panhandling urban Jew.

A taxi driver in Moscow named Shlykov gets stiffed of his fare by the Jewish saxophone player named Lyosha who calls himself a genius who "speaks to God". Shlykov tracks down Lyosha and takes his saxophone and that is when the fun begins.

Lyosha fails to make money fast enough to pay Shlykov back but Shlykov decides to give him back his saxophone anyways. Lyosha, sensing Shlykov's soft heart, tries to further take advantage of him by begging him for money. After Shlykov lets Lyosha in his apartment, and after Lyosha causes him great trouble costing him even more money, Shlykov takes Lyosha to jail.

After a violent outburst by Shlykov he decides to go back to the police station to drop the charges against Lyosha. He has decided that sending Lyosha to jail would accomplish nothing. He wants to show Lyosha what life is like for honest hard-working people. Shlykov makes Lyosha come to work with him. The "intellectual" breaks down when forced to do what millions of other people in the country have to do everyday of their lives. Both characters show impulsive and unpredictable behaviour, but for different reason. Lyosha is simply a drunk. Shlykov is a patriotic ex-athlete full of proletariat angst and senses his nation is dying because of the "rotten" westernized hooligans he sees everywhere in the streets who lack any work ethic.

I will not reveal the ending to you but I will tell you this story is not a fairy tale.

I think this film goes much deeper than just showing what life was like in the USSR; the two characters can be found in almost every culture in the world today.

Excellent performances by both Zajchenko and Mamonov.

This film is more deeper thats you can imagine. This film is about 2 Russian souls, two tragical souls in the 1980xx( at the end of soviet union). This men are the parallel to the soviet - both are tragical, needs new oxygen, new energy to survive!

I think that only Russians can understand that cinema, its very hard to see this film, if you are not living in Russia. Unreal playing by actors, amazing Vladimir Cherkasin soundtracks

If you like this film, you can see all the films with Petr Mamonov or films by Pavel Lungin.

I think that this film is more than 10/10

Besides this, I have only seen one movie by Pavel Lungin, namely Luna-park, which also comes off highly recommended. Taxi Blues is an excellent work all in itself. Lungin very well transcends the chaotic atmosphere in Russia during the late Perestroika period, and prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union itself. The tumultous relationship between two main characters represents bipolar parts of the Russian society, and shows degradation of the social fabric. Piotr Mamonov (who is also the leader of the well-known Moscow rock-band Zvuki Moo) turns in an impressive performance as Lyosha - a westernized, alcoholic Jewish mucisian. The rest of the characters are equally picturesqe, be it the strong willed, conservative, nationalistic taxi driver, or his neighbor, an old man of the Stalinist generation. The film's unsettling pacing and incessant moodswings further contribute to the overall picture. An excellent film from one of Russia's leading directors.

Pyotr Mamonov is one of the brightest representatives of Soviet new wave music scene. He is both rock musician, poet,performer and well-known actor. Here he plays a sax player, who is leading a life of alcochol addict and looser, who is begging for money playing drunk in the streets of Moscow. Ivan is an opposite character- He is hard-working taxi driver, who pays respect to laws and social rules. When he meats Selivestrov (Mamonov) he dislikes him a lot. Selivestrov is spending all money on vodka and tries to cheat a taxi driver, escaping to pay for taxist's work. But Ivvan finds a looser sax player and tries to teach him be honest, hard-working and successful in life. It is very hard for Selivyostrov to start new life, but he manages to do it in the end and becomes world famous star. Great score by legendary free jazz Vladimir Chekasin, perfect acting, best views on Perestroika times and a lot of good humor one can see here Highly recommended for those who are exploring Russian underground music scene of 80s.

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"Taxi Blues" is a raw and gritty film that really captures the struggles of everyday life in a big city in 90's Russia. The story revolves around a gritty conservative taxi driver and a struggling musician with more "modern" values, showcasing their unlikely friendship amidst personal hardships. The gritty cinematography and the realistic dialogue hit home, making you feel the weight of their challenges. The performances are honest and powerful, especially the chemistry between the two leads. It's not just a story about unlikely friendships. It dives deep into themes of hope, dreams, and the realities of that era in Russian history.

It's a very good character-driven narrative that blends humor with melancholy and very deep characters. It felt very Dostoevsky-esque, despite being set in a completely different time period.